Why I love All In One Cloth Diapers

Before you read this, let me just give you a disclaimer: I like all types of cloth diapers. At
some point in time, each is my favorite: fitteds, flats, pockets...I don’t discriminate. Now
that I’m pregnant, though, my fixation is with all in one diapers because they fit best into
my current lifestyle.

I never used to buy all in ones because in my experience, they were usually the most
expensive diaper. At least they used to be. When I got pregnant while my son was (is)
still in diapers, I had no energy to cook, clean, wash laundry, or play with my kids.

Stuffing pocket diapers and folding flats was just too much. I couldn’t keep up. So I
bought a bunch of AIOs, the least expensive ones I could find. We purchased Diaper Rite
and Imagine AIOs. At $10 to$14 apiece, I was able to purchase about 8 of them which
was gave us a grand total of 11 and was enough to keep us going when I was too sick to
stuff or fold diapers.

Now, I’ve discovered that these AIO diapers are the only diapers that really contain my
two year old son’s pee. Since he’s older, the volume of his pee has increased, and he
has always been a heavy wetter anyway so leaks have been an issue for us since the
beginning. I’m glad to have something that is not only easy to use but that contains
messes really well.

So, all that said, why do I like them?
1. They can go directly from the wash to the bottom. No multiple steps to
worry about.
2. They’re pretty. Both brands come in nice colors and prints.
3. They’re absorbent. They really contain wetness and messes without
issue.
4. They’re very fast to use.
5. They’re adjustable: besides being one size fits most, the absorbency
(which is either snapped or sewn in) often lays open on one end (or two) and can
be folded as needed. You can also add another insert underneath the absorbent
layers.
6. Surprisingly, the synthetic fibers line dry almost as quickly as an
unstuffed pocket diaper.

Downsides?
1. They require more rinses in the wash. They don’t wash as easily as a
flat diaper or a prefold.
2. They take a longer time to dry than pockets and shouldn’t go into the
dryer regularly like flats and prefolds. All natural fibered AIOs take an especially
long time to dry. I love my Imagine Bamboo AIOs, but they take a full day longer to
dry than my other AIOs. The insert even takes an extra spin in the dryer. Of
course, this isn’t just true for AIO diapers. Any type of diaper with natural fibers will
probably take longer to dry.

Why should you get AIO diapers?

If you have never tried AIO diapers, they’re awesome. From the more expensive brands
like or Grovia, down to something more affordable like Diaper Rite and
Imagine, you won’t be disappointed. They are usually more expensive than other types of
cloth diapers but because they are so quick to use, they are great for the times when you
really need fast diaper changes (think babysitters, daycare, and pregnancy). Even if you
can’t afford to completely fill your stash with AIOs, you’ll be happy to have even just a
couple on hand. As I said earlier, I really do love every type of cloth diaper and every
kind has been my favorite at one point or another. I’ve found that having some stash
diversity has really helped my family to be ready for all sorts of different situations. When
you’re in a rush or you need to ask somebody to change a diaper who is accustomed to
disposables, you’ll be really thankful that you have a couple of AIO diapers on hand.
They are so, very easy to use at the changing table. They really are ready for your baby’s
bottom right out of the wash!